Genetic modification (GM)

Changing the genes of a living thing, often by adding genes

from another living thing.

Gene Jury

Did scientists add a spider gene to Did scientists add a spider gene to goats to make web silk in goat’s milk?goats to make web silk in goat’s milk?

Changing Changing

Gene Gene

ChallengeChallenge TRUE or TRUE or

FALSEFALSETRUE!TRUE!

TRUE!TRUE! It is amazingly strong and It is amazingly strong and

light, it is calledlight, it is called BioSteelBioSteel..

Did scientists add genes from mice and Did scientists add genes from mice and bacteria to pigs, so the pigs poo was bacteria to pigs, so the pigs poo was

less polluting?less polluting?

Changing Changing

Gene Gene

ChallengeChallenge TRUE or FALSETRUE or FALSETRUE!TRUE!

TRUE!TRUE! The The EnviropigEnviropig is in Canada/US is in Canada/US now, its waste is much less polluting to now, its waste is much less polluting to

the environment. The meat from the the environment. The meat from the EnviropigEnviropig may be in their shops soon. may be in their shops soon.

Changing Changing

Gene Gene

ChallengeChallenge

Did scientists add a gene to make these tiny babies?

TRUE or FALSETRUE or FALSE

FALSE!FALSE! An artist called Camille An artist called Camille

Allen made the babies out of clayAllen made the babies out of clay..

FALSEFALSE

Did scientists create a GM hen that lays eggs that help fight cancer?

TRUE or TRUE or FALSEFALSE

BUT the company that funded the research went bust in 2007. Making GM animals is

very costly and time-consuming!

TRUE!TRUE!

GM hens producehuman interferon

anti-viral and anti-cancer drug.

Do you know of any medicines produced by GM creatures ?

ATryn blood clotting factor Synthetic human

insulin for diabetics

Hepatitis B vaccine made by GM yeast since 1986

Would you use a GM medicine or vaccine?

Only if it was made by a

microorganism

Only if I was seriously illYes

A B C

NoNot sure

D E

Did scientists add a jellyfish gene to fish to make them glow green?

TRUE or TRUE or FALSEFALSE

Changing Changing

Gene Gene

ChallengeChallenge

TRUE!TRUE! GloFishGloFish are sold as are sold as petspets

TRUE!TRUE!

?image from image from

GloFish.comGloFish.com

Changing Changing

Gene Gene

ChallengeChallenge

Did scientists add a gene to make this

chicken half male, half female?

TRUE or FALSETRUE or FALSE

Sam is a half female/half Sam is a half female/half male chicken that was male chicken that was

born naturally!born naturally!

FALSEFALSE

Are these FlavrSavr GM tomatoes available in US supermarkets

now?

FlavrSavr tomatoes first GM food in US shops, 1994. Taste better and US customers loved them.

.

BUT the tomatoes were soft and easily damaged.

The supermarkets stopped buying them.

They have not been grown or sold since 1998

TRUE or TRUE or FALSEFALSE

FALSE!FALSE!

Would you eat GM tomatoes if they sold them in Scotland?

A Yes

B No

C Not sure

D Only if theywere cheaper!

Half of the world’s cotton is GM.Around half of you are probably

wearing GM pants!TRUE or TRUE or FALSEFALSE

TRUE!TRUE!

GM cotton has a gene that helps it resist the bollworm pest.

Some of you are wearing GM

pants

% o

f cr

op

GM

If GM can do all these things,why are GM crops not grown in the UK?

Modified genes can escape, into wild plants

and animals

Pollen from some GM plants can harm insects

like bees

SafetyAre GM foods safe to eat? UK media plays on fears.

GM seeds and animals and genes are patented

(Copyright)

It is interfering with nature.

Do we really need it?

In the UK GM is used extensively in labs and in food

processing.

It is possible that the UK government want to try GM

crops in the future.

What do you think? When is GM ok?

GM: Changing Genes